Police Regional Office (PRO) 6 reports that a buy-bust operation thwarted the attempt of a drug pusher from Pasay City to do his illegal activity in Boracay Island Tuesday afternoon.

PO3 Francisco Lindero Jr., of PRO 6 public information office reported that Sergio Santiago, 34, single, of M. Dela Cruz St., Pasay City was arrested by a joint operation of the Aklan Police Provincial Office intelligence operatives and Boracay Tourist Police Office.

Santiago temporarily resides at Sitio Lutugan, Brgy. Manoc-manoc, Malay, Aklan, handed over to a police poseur buyer a sachet of suspected methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu in consideration of P1,000.

[ DISCLAIMER: Opinions and reactions posted in this section do not necessarily reflect those of NDB and NDBers. - A rman Toga, moderator. ]

[7114] CENECO & BACIWA. Nugay na kamu kareklamu sa Ceneco kag Baciwa. Wala kamu inyo nga power plant. Magdusa kamu sang privatization. Hahaha! (09207242552)

[7113] May 20 Negros Daily Bulletin (NDB) NEWS-INFO ALERT** (ndb-online.com) ::: (1) Fire razed parts of a commercial structure at the Lizares compound beside UNO-R church along Lizares Street, Bacolod City early this morning (2) Kins of OFWs in Taiwan are having sleepless nights as fresh anti-Pinoy attacks killed 2 more OFWs (3) Woman died, 2 injured when 2 motorcycles collided in Ma-ao, Bago City (4) Boarding house owner’s son was shot dead in Mansilingan, Bacolod (5) "Police visibility a better crime deterrent"; Prov’l PNP OIC Dir. De la Paz orders cops to sustain visibility (6) No storm, just localized thunderstorms.

*[7112] MADING ADORIO IN GUIMARAS. Ginapahibalo sa mga paryente kag kakilala ni lola Magdalena "Mading" Gamusa-Adorio sang Alibjon, Jordan, Guimaras nga sya nagtaliwan kag yara nahaya sa ila puluy an sa Alibjon, Jordan. Sa Mayo 26 ang lubong ala una sa hapun. Contact kamo sa iya bata nga si Bella Adorio De Juan sa 09089015430.

[7111] POWER PLANT. Power plant gid ang kenanglan para madayun na tanan nga planu ni Monico kag Marañon. Wala power plant, wala progress kag wala development ang Bacolod kag Negros. (09207242552)

[7110] ATTENTION DEPED. Call ko lang attention sang DEPED. Ang MAIHS indi magpirma clearances ang mga teachers kung wala ka ibigay nga goods. Pwerte no. Thanks have a nice day. (09095800396)

This time, it’s the Taiwanese who had to be on the defensive, their erring media has to apologize to Filipinos being victimized by erroneous reports by their own journalists making up false claims in their print media outlet. The Taiwanese president himself had to make assurances that no such negative stories happened and that they would not tolerate such false claims.

These apologies only goes to show that the Taiwanese themselves are taking advantage of the adverse effects that the diplomatic impasse has been taking place not only in the disputed seawaters between China and the Philippines and lately, between the Philippines and Taiwan, but also in the streets and corridors of the two Chinese territories, victimizing Filipinos right in their jurisdictions where they used to be allies being workers in their factories and industries.

For years, we have been mesmerized by the bigger volume of overseas remittances from OFWs to our country. And we consider this as harbinger of brighter days ahead.

Unfortunately, that is a myth. Time may come when our overseas workers find themselves unable to send home more dollars than they had anticipated. And that would spell the end for our country’s economic stability.

Remittances do not represent earnings. Or income. In the actual sense of the economy, our foreign workers are just there by the grace of God and the goodwill of the host countries.

BECAUSE IT IS JUST RIGHT. There are now discussions and debates on the holding of elections in the basic or lower level of governance and which is the barangay.

Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes has recommended that for the sake of adequate preparations, elections in the barangay be postponed either in 2014 or early, 2015 because it is too early for this. A lot of preparations are needed, says the Comelec honcho. But those who decided on the October 2013 date, must be men who are wiser than most, congressmen and senators.

Of course, barangay officials to include councilmen and those in the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) would push for elections later, to promote their own interests. They will continue to receive privileges, benefits and their wages while they are staying in office.

Those who are facing anti-graft complaints or actual anti-graft cases in the Sandiganbayan Bayan, will benefit immensely too, from the poll’s postponement.

DYAF "Bullseye" discussion two days ago conducted by Ramon Viva and Big Boy Urbanoso was interrupted to accommodate the call of Dr. Norma Juarez-Roque herself. She thanked all teachers who supported the candidacy of Mayor-elect Monico Puentevella, saying, "Many realized that Monico’s heart is for the teachers."

Mayor-elect Monico Puentevella vowed to review the teachers’ Emergency Cost of Living Allowance (ECOLA) upon assumption of office, not during election season; work out the development of a teachers’ village as hundreds dwell on the benevolence of their extended families; most of all, the granting of graduate school scholarships for them.

The ECOLA, explained Viva, is to augment the financial condition of teachers. Upon their shoulders are the needs of their learners including supplies of floor waxes to clean their homerooms and decorations usually required of them. This is on top of their clerical works, needs of their families and their own as normal human beings. It is cruel to be promising and granting their ECOLAs during elections. Mayor Puentevella exclaimed on stage and down stage, "ECOLA upon his assumption of office".

Soroptimist International (SI) of Silay is this year’s host of the annual conference of the Soroptimist International of the Philippines Region (SIPR) to be held on May 31-June 2. More than 500 delegates from the 83 clubs nationwide have registered for the conference. L Fisher Hotel, venue of the conference has been fully booked since three months ago.

Four foreign guests headed by SIA President elect Cheri Fleming and outgoing Chairperson of the SIA Fund Development Council, Sandy Shultz will speak and conduct workshops at the Officer’s Leadership Training Seminar at Amrei Hotel on May 30, a day before the start of the conference. A press conference has also been scheduled on the same day.

SI Silay president Marissa Montelibano and her members have been feverishly preparing for evening events to insure the success of this conference. The early arrivals will be treated to a traditional rural fiesta of old at the Balay Negrense in Silay, where Silay’s famous delicacies will be served. The multi awarded Kabataang Silay rondalla will provide the music. Hugyaw Silay will regale the guests with their street dancing. The evening’s program has remained under wraps but President Marissa assures us of a truly memorable evening.

The University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos (UNO-R) celebrates the Heritage Tree Museum Day today, May 23, with the soft-launching of its Philippine Heritage Tree Museum and Environmental Sustainability Mini-Eco Park.

Highlighting the global significance of Philippine biodiversity conservation as its way of commemorating the 1st Anniversary of its Live Museum of Philippine Heritage Trees, the UNO-R@50 greening celebration participants last year will get together and invite all Environmental Stewardship advocates for a special gathering at Greenheart Hermitage inside its university campus. From adopting the NOT-JUST-ANY-TREE, UNO-R will enhance its greening focus by also adopting the NOT JUST GREEN, BUT PHILIPPINE GREEN advocacy to include all the other indigenous plants which are also part of the Philippine green heritage.

Initiated by the university through its Environmental Stewardship Program called UNO-R + EDC Urban Greening Grow-a-Heritage Tree, the tree museum is situated along with the award winning and media featured solar-powered Earth Chapel, the Hanging Urban Garden on Recycled Plastic Bottles, the University Recycling Depot, the indigenous Stations of the Cross, and the Grotto of Our Lady of Environmental Stewardship at Greenheart Hermitage inside the campus.

More policemen will be visible near school campuses, terminals and commercial establishments as opening of classes nears. Thus said Chief Supt. Agrimero Cruz, Jr., Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6) director.

The intensified police visibility is part of the Philippine National Police (PNP) drives against street crimes and other incidents that may victimize the public, especially the students who are enrolling and parents buying school supplies.

Cruz said the influx of motorists, commuters and shoppers are expected in the next few weeks as most schools open in the first week of June.

In a form of Public-Private Partnership, the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) partnered with various organizations for the training of women to be gender responsive entrepreneurs.

The S3TAR Program or the Sari-Sari Store Training and Access to Resources Program spearheaded by TESDA and Coca-Cola Philippines provided 1,000 women from the cities of Bacolod, Bago and Talisay the basic entrepreneurship and gender sensitivity training for 12 weeks.

Rose, one of the 1,000 women and the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program member, said that aside from learning entrepreneurship theories like understanding the market, managing credit and managing inventory, they also learned values and gender equality of men and women.